Sewing machine needle threader



Oct. 4, 1949., t c OLSON 2,483,595-

SEWING MACHINE NEEDLE THREADER Filed June 9, 1944 6 /794141 55 Z(. 0150mum/ 012. BY

m" IZNEY.

Patented Oct. 4, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in needle threading devices andis particularly adapted for use in connection with threading of sewingmachine needles of various measurements as well as threads of diiierentsizes such as encountered in th household type of sewing machine.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a needlethreading device including a threading pin operable to push a strand ofthread in the form of a loop through the eye of a needle wherein thethreading pin. is of such construction and design as to insure greateraccuracy in the threading operation, reduce the strain on the pin whilein actual service and thereby increase. its life, and sufficiently light:in weight to facilitate its movement between. operative and inoperativepositions relative to its mounting.

Another object of this invention is to provide a needle threading deviceembodying such features of construction and design as to render the sameeasier to adjust .in initially bringing the. threading pin into registrywith the eye of the needle to be threaded.

Another object is to provide a device of this 1 character whichincorporates features of construction and design susceptible ofeconomical manufacture and assembly.

With the above and other objects in view, as will be apparent, thisinvention consists. in the construction, combination and arrangement ofparts. all as hereinafter more full described, claimed and illustratedin the. accompanying drawing:

Fig- 1 is a. perspective view of the present needle threading deviceillustrating the threading. pin in retracted position.

Fig 2 is a similar view illustrating the threading pin in advancedposition.

Fig. 3 is a similar View illustrating the. threading pin in. retractedposition after completion of movement. to an advanced position with thestrand, of. thread arranged in a. loop. through the eye of. the needle.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal central sectional view through the device asshown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a slightly reduced perspective view of the present needlethreading device illustrating its application to a bracket fixed to thehead of thesewingmachine.

In carrying out the present invention, a substantially rectangular unitis provided by means of a pair of plates 10 and H of metal or othersuitable composition. secured mutually infacetry by means ofconventional means, such as. a screw ii. The plate ill, which. may be ofslightly greater thickness than the, plate ii, if desired,. is machinedor otherwise operated upon to provide a longitudinal recess on itsinwardly directed surface toprovide-conjointly with the inner surface ofthe plate I I, a bore or passageway 93. extending the full length of thejoined plates as and H. One end of the passageway l3 isof enlargedtransverse cross-sectional dimension to provide a chamber or bearing'inwhich an operating rod 14 may have longitudinal sliding movement towardand away from an operative position in the: passageway, with itstrailing; end protruding from the limits of said-passageway in eitheroperative or inoperative position therein. A lateral projection or Stu-1 l6 secured to the portion. of the rod i4 confined within the.passageway I3 projects outwardly through a slot i l in the side of theplate H. Thus the longitudinal limits or edges of the slot H act tolimit. the extent of sliding movement of the rod 14 in the passageway13. A-spring 18 arranged in leading relation to the rod l4 presses.against the rod I l and the forwardmost. limits oi the enlarged portionof the passageway 13 to normally urge the rod 14 and the stud 16. to aposition wherein the rod It is in retracted or inoperative position, asshown in Fig. 4.

The portion of the passageway l3 extending forwardly from the enlargedportion aforesaid provides a bearing-for a relatively thin threading pinl9 which is adapted to project from the forlward end of the passagewayl3 when the operatingrod 1.4,. to which the trailing end of said pin 19is suitably secured, is in forwardmost or operawardly convergingsurfaces 20 and 2| defining conjointly a recess or seat adapted to seator circumferentially embrace needles of various diameter, such as theyneedle 22 shown in the drawing. .A groove 23 defined by the inwardlyconverging surfaces of a. recess arranged to cross the surfaces 20 and.2.! in registry with the forward limits of the passageway 13. isextended slightly inward oi the inner limits of the surfaces. 2.0 and 2|to to-face upright relation with their edgesin regisas afford a. pocket.in. which a strand of thread 24 3 may be confined to obstruct the pathof the threading pin [9 without being susceptible to withdrawal ordislodgment by the force of gravity pending engagement and advancementof the thread through the eye of the needle by the threading pin.

In order that the device may be accurately aligned to insureregistration of the passageway l3 relative to the eye of the needle 22to be threaded, a plate 26 is preferably mounted for adjustment in apath parallel to the axis of the needle in a position to engage thepoint of the needle. A keyway 27 in the side of the plate Ill provides asuitable seat for a bracket 28 from which the plate 26 is suspended inunderlying relation to the needle seat formed by the surfaces 20 and 2!.A screw 29 secured to the bottom of 'keyway 21 is adapted to be adjustedto rigidly secure the bracket 28 in selected position lengthwise of thekeyway 2'! whereby the height of the plate 26 may be properly maintainedin accordance with the aligned positions of the needle eye and thepassageway l3.

The threading pin 19 is preferably dished or concaved at its forwardedge 30 to facilitate engagement of the strand of thread centrally ofits leading end.

In order to conveniently maintain the device in a position to facilitateits application to the needle by movement in a horizontal path, anysuitable means may be employed.'- For example,

as shown in Fig. 2, a bar 32 adjustably fastened as at 33 and having abifurcated head 34 adapted to embrace a presser foot bar 35 of themachine, afiords an eflicient arrangement for this purpose.

In operating the present threading device, it is advisable to initiallyoperate the machine to position the needle in its upwardmost position.Having then arranged a strand of thread in the groove 23 so as to retainthe thread in a position to resist withdrawal or dislodgment by force ofgravity, the bifurcated head 34 is manually applied and supported inembracing relation to the presser foot bar 35 at a position lengthwisethereof to assure that the plate 26 is disposed below the point of theneedle 22. Thus the needle, and the presser foot bar provide laterallyspaced supports for maintaining the device in selected horizontallyrotated position relative to the eye of the needle 22. Having swung thebar 32 to position the inwardly converging surfaces 20 and 2| in aposition to straddle the needle, and having determined the position ofthe plate 26 in vertical relation to the eye of the needle to assurealigned relation of the eye of the needle and the passageway l3 when thepoint of the needle rests on theplate 26, the device is elevated untilthe point of the needle touches the upper surface of the plate 26.

,By holding the device firmly in this position with one hand, andsimultaneously pressing inwardly on the operating rod l4 until itreaches the limit of its forward or inward movement, the threading pinand the loop of thread engaged thereby, are moved accurately through theeye of the needle. Upon releasing the rod M, the spring 18 is relaxedforcing the rod M to inoperative position and simultaneously withdrawsthe threading pin from the eye of the needle, leaving the thread loopprojecting through the eye of the needle.

It might also be desirable to permanently mount the device on the headof a sewing machine by means of a bracket 36 providing an uprightbearing 31 on which an arm 38 is rotatable to swing its end fastened asat 40 to the plate Ill, in the same manner of swinging movement asdescribed in connection with the bar 32 and head 34 cooperating with thepresser foot bar.

The threading pin l9, when constructed of spring metal having across-sectional dimension of .030 inch by .003 inch operating in apassageway having a cross-sectional dimension of .035 inch by .006 inch,with the greatest of said dimensions arranged lengthwise of the axis ofthe needle 22, and arranged to travel approximately inch betweenadvanced and retracted positions, has been demonstrated to operate withunerring results on needle eyes of various measurement in machines ofconventional household type design, and on threads of different sizesapplicable thereto.

What is claimed is:

, 1. A needle threading device comprising a pair of plates securedmutually in face-to-face relation with their edges in registry toprovide a rectangular housing, a passageway arranged longitudinally ofthe inner face of one of said plates, a threading pin movable lengthwiseof said passageway toward and away from a position wherein an endportion thereof projects outwardly from said passageway, inwardlyconverging sur faces formed in a pair of meeting edges of said plates toprovide a seat with which the sides of a needle to be threaded areengageable, means mounted for adjustment lengthwise of said inwardlyconverging surfaces presenting an abutment with which the point of theneedle is engageable to maintain said passageway in a posi tion inalignment with the eye of said needle when the sides of the needle areseated against said inwardly converging surfaces, means acting on saidthreading pin to bias the same into a position wherein said end portionis inwardly retracted relative to said passageway means operable to movesaid threading pin from a position wherein said end portion is inwardlyretracted relative to said passageway to a position wherein its endprojects through said eye of the needle, and a pocket intersecting thejunction of said converging surfaces and extending inwardly therefrom tosupport a strand of thread between the needle and the housing in aposition obstructin the path of movement of saidthreading pin duringmovement of the pin toward a position wherein its end projects throughsaid eye of the needle.

2. A needle threading device comprising a housing, a passageway arrangedlongitudinally thereof, a threading pin movable lengthwise of saidpassageway toward and away from a position forwardly of the longitudinallimits of said passageway, inwardly converging surfaces formed in saidhousing in which a needle may be seated with its longitudinal axisextending lengthwise of said inwardly converging surfaces with the eyeof the needle in alignment with the longitudinal limits of saidpassageway, means operable to move said threading pin from a retractedposition within said passageway to a position projecting through saidneedle eye when the needle is seated against said inwardly convergingsurfaces of the housing and biased to a position corresponding toretracted position of said threading pin, and a pocket intersecting thejunction of said inwardly converging surfaces and extending inwardlytherefrom to'support a strand of thread between the needle and thehousing in a position obstructing the path of movement of said threadingpin during movement of the pin toward a position projecting through saidneedle eye.

3. A needle threading device comprising a threadin pin of spring metaladapted to enter and pass through the eye of a needle with a strand ofthread of conventional thickness arranged in a loop around the leadingedge thereof, a housing provided with a passageway in which saidthreading pin has longitudinal sliding support from a retracted positionto an advanced position projecting from said housing, and return, meansfor moving said threading pin from a retracted position to an advancedposition having sliding support in said housing, and means mounted onsaid housing for adjustment lengthwise of the axis of a needle to bethreaded and presenting an abutment with which the point of the needleis engageable to maintain said passageway in alignment with the eye ofthe needle.

4. A needle threading device as described in claim 3 wherein said meansfor moving said threading pin from a retracted position to an ad-REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 524,896 Goldman Aug. 21, 1894748,913 Battey Jan. 5. 1904

